


If you can stand the heat

by htbthomas



Category: Kim's Convenience (TV)
Genre: Chocolate Box Treat, Cooking, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:14:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29151819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/htbthomas/pseuds/htbthomas
Summary: Shannon succeeds in cooking for Jung's parents, despite howdistractinghe is.
Relationships: Jung Kim/Shannon Ross
Comments: 14
Kudos: 13
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	If you can stand the heat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [useyourtelescope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/useyourtelescope/gifts).



Shannon stirs the sauce a couple times with the wooden spoon, making sure that nothing is sticking to the sides. The last time she made fra diavolo sauce, the tomatoes had charred so badly that they seemed perma-glued to the side of the pan. This has to be perfect.

She feels arms envelop her from behind, and after freezing in surprise for a moment, she sinks down into them. "How's it coming?" Jung asks softly, right beside her ear. 

"Good," she sighs. And then she shakes her head, a little frantic. "I mean, it has to be? Right?" She can hear her voice rising in panic, and that _isn't_ good. Not at all. "You're sure they'll like it? I mean, it's not Kimchi-jjigae; maybe they don't like Italian food—"

He squeezes her again. "It will be fine. And you should _never_ try to make Kimchi-jjigae, you know that."

Shannon spins in Jung's arms to face him. "Why?"

"Because everyone would be comparing yours to Umma's— _especially_ Umma. Better to make something she's never cooked before." 

She tilts her head to the side, looks him dead in the eyes, and says, "Would you say that's a... recipe for disaster?"

His mouth quirks into a smirk at her pun. then he reaches around her to pluck the stirring spoon out of the sauce and opens his mouth to take a little taste...

She whacks him on the shoulder to stop him. "Hey! Don't use that!" She turns around and picks up a clean spoon to hand to him. "Use this one instead."

She notices, vaguely, that he's gone still, but doesn't understand why. Then she sees it. Several large dollops of sauce have landed on Jung's face and neck. And the collar of his dress shirt.

"Oh no," she says unhappily. "Let me just..." She slides out of his arms to wet a dish cloth with warm water, returning to wipe the sauce gently from his cheek, his nose, the spot beside his Adam's apple. He watches her closely as she works, and Shannon starts to feel a heat that doesn't come from the stovetop behind her. But she can't get distracted, as much as she wants to, with the sauce behind her and Mr. and Mrs. Kim here any minute... She dabs at his collar, but there's still a big wet orange spot left behind. "You're going to have to take off your shirt."

His eyebrow lifts. "Right here?"

"Yes..." she breathes, and then, "No! No, I mean, I can't get the spot out, so you're going to need a new one before they get here, in—" She looks at the time. "Oh my gosh, five minutes!"

He lifts his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, but just a second..." He leans in and gives her a long slow kiss on her jaw, his tongue darting out to suckle at a spot just under the hinge.

"Jung," she complains, but it's weak. Very weak.

"Delicious," he says, pulling away, eyes burning with a promise of more of that later. "You had a little sauce there. Much better than using a spoon."

"Aw." She nudges him with a hand and then her eyes fly open wide. "Wait! Is there any sauce on my clothes? In my hair?"

He looks her over, seemingly unconcerned about his parents' arrival. It makes her shift from foot to foot, not just in nervousness about the visit... but anticipation for what's coming _after_ the visit. "I don't see any. But maybe under here—" He reaches for the top button of her blouse.

She catches it with one hand. "Save it for later." She hopes he catches her meaning.

The doorbell rings. 

"They're early!" There's still the sauce to finish, the prawns to sauté, the salad to toss—but Jung's errand is the most urgent. "Go get changed, quick!"

"Just toss Appa a beer," Jung tells her as he slips off toward the bedroom, "and let Umma make some tea. It'll be fine!"

All her worries vanish later, when Mr. Kim asks for a second helping and Mrs. Kim tilts her head, just so, before swallowing each bite. Jung nudges Shannon with his elbow, as if to coyly say, _told you so._

She rubs a hand over his thigh under the table. There's a thank you coming later.


End file.
